Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik
The Artanian Dundorfic Church (Dundorfian: Artänisch Dundorfisch Kirche) or Ordist Church (Dundorfian: Ordist Kirche) formally known as the Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik (Dundorfian: Reformierte Hosianliche Kirche Dorvik) or the Reformed Church of Dorvik (Dundorfian: Reformierte Kirche Dorvik) is the largest Hosian church in Dorvik and the largest denomination of Dorvish believers. The church was first formed as a branch of the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra but by the time the Holy Apostolic Church had sent other missionaries, the Ordist Church had been founded on the basis of blending Dundorfic paganism and heretical Hosianism. Underneath the leadership of Ordius, who would be posthumously known as Hademar, he became so enchanted with Dundorfic paganism that he blended Hosian teachings with Dundorfic paganism and eventually he declared that the Ordist Church was separate from the Holy Apostolic Church. Ordius was a Bishop of the Holy Apostolic Church and was sent from Selucia as a missionary to Artania from the church. Ordius was a firm believer in the doctrine of the Holy Apostolic Church but upon contact with the Dundorfian tribes he came to realize that the people would not accept turning the other cheek and forgiveness, he was driven in his mission but when he began to lose followers he reacted. Ordius went and studied Dundorfic history and folklore, following this he began to blend Dundorfic paganism with his own Hosian beliefs. Ordius decided to write Historia Bellatori, one of the earliest histories of the Dundorfic tribes and considered to this day as one of the foremost leading sources of ancient Dundorf. Ordism stresses duty and faithfulness to Elyon (God) and that Eliyahu (the Son) was simply a prophet who spread Elyon's message. The key to this is that Eliyahu is subservient to Elyon and that the Holy Spirit is subservient to the Son. It stresses that one is faithful to Elyon and observes the Saints of the church. The Saints of the Artanian Dundorfic Church are the gods of Dundorfic paganism and are worshipped just as much as Elyon himself is. Ordism espouses order, perseverance, loyalty, service to ones country and military service. History Ordius was a missionary of the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra and was dispatched to bring the Hosian religion to what would later become the Dorvish people. Ordius traveled first to region of modern day Dundorf to study the language prior to his arrival in the region today known as Dorvik. Ordius arrived and traveled throughout mainland Dorvik to get a grasp on the culture, slowly preaching Hosianism more and more before settling down in Citadel where he setup his first church. Ordius begun preaching the standard beliefs of the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra but he soon realized that his followers were disgruntled with the belief that God, Eliyahu and the Holy Spirit were one in the same and no established order existed. Ordius saw that the Dorvish people were very disciplined and rigid in hierarchy, something he himself had believed in and admired. Ordius begun to preach his own beliefs that Eliyahu was subservant to God, and the Holy Spirit was subservant Eliyahu which rapidly expanded his followers. Ordius begun to preach that in order to achieve entry in heaven one must display "Order, Loyalty and Perseverance" in everyday life, this belief became a mainstay of the Dorvish culture and continues to be a motto which many Dorvish live by today. The Dorvish who followed Ordius were called "Ordist", most modern theologians believe that Ordius was dispatched by God himself to ensure the loyalty and maintain the discipline of the Dorvish citizens. A large portion of scholars believe that Ordius was given his name because the Dorvish word for Order was Orden. Others believe that the work came from Ordius himself when he first arrived in Dorvik. Ordius died quietly in the church he founded in Largonia in 717 CE where he was quickly given Sainthood. The church which Ordius first founded became Saint Ordius Basilica and the home to the modern Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik. In the wake of Ordius's death many believed that electing a single leader to replace Ordius was wrong because no one could replace Ordius. Thus the church established a Governing Synod which was presided over by the Bishop of Lenebach, which was an important military and political city in Largonia. The Governing Synod ruled the Ordist church until the rise of Exarch movement in the 1400's. The Exarch movement began when the Governing Synod in 1407 failed to appoint the Bishop of Lenebach due to political infighting over the position. Prelate Theudoricus Wendel stormed into a session of the Governing Synod in Saint Ordius Basilica and proclaimed himself "Exarch" of the church. Wendel claims that he received a vision from Ordius, overseen by God and Eliyahu himself and Ordius told Wendel that it was his duty to restore Order, Loyalty and Perseverance to the Church. Wendel's story was believed by a great deal and they proclaimed him "Exarch" which he borrowed from the Kalopian language. Beliefs The Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik stems its beliefs from early Dundorfic Hosianism, which formed somewhere around the 7th century AD when missionaries from the Holy Apostolic Hosian Church of Terra began to reach Artania. Ordius was a Selucian missionary who came to the area around Dorvik and began to preach, fascinated with early Dundorfian Hosianism that blended Dundorfic paganism with Hosianism, he began to preach his own beliefs that he begun to write down in what was known as Liber Ordius. Ordius's beliefs, stemming from non-tritarianism (the belief that Eliyahu, Elyon and the Holy Spirit were one) and other aspects of the church came to see a majority of Ordius's followers to be declared heretics. This would play a tremendous role in the development of the Confessional Ameliorate Church of Dundorf in the 16th century. Ordism, as the ideology has become to be called, believes that Elyon, Eliyahu and the Holy Spirit are separate and are subordinate to each other. Ordism also incorporates elements of Dundorfic paganism, such as former Dundorfian gods as leaders within the church itself. When Martin Luthor posted his Leadership and hierarchy Leadership *''Main article: List of Ordist Exarchs'' The head of the Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik is the Exarch who is elected by general vote of all Bishops in the church at the time. The Exarch is the premier position of the Ordist church and it is believed that he is one of the most powerful political leaders in Dorvik. The current Exarch is Theodoric IV who was elected in 3388 as the NUMBER Exarch of the Reformed Hosian Church of Dorvik. The Exarch is assisted by the Vicar-General who is selected personally by the Exarch and serves as the personal assistant to the Exarch. The Vicar-General acts as the interim Exarch if something were to happen to the Exarch. Hierarchy Category:Hosianism Category:Religion